What's Your Favorite Easter Menu?

Do you have a favorite Easter Menu? Whether you’re planning the traditional fare such as chicken and dressing, baked ham or leg of lamb, a big meal is usually traditional, especially in the south.

I have included a few special menus along with recipes from visitors that they enjoy during Easter. I also asked others for their favorite menu and here’s what I received:

Gloria from Michigan sent her favorite Easter Menu:
Honey Baked Ham with Homemade Glaze
Deep Fried Turkey
Collard Greens with Smoked Meat
Southern Potato Salad
Deviled Eggs
Hot Water Corn Bread
Homemade Banana Pudding
Strawberry Cake
Homemade Lemonade

Doug from Kentucky sent his favorite Easter Menu:
Glazed Spiral Sliced Ham
Roasted Stuffed Cornish Hens
Sweet Potato Casserole
Cold Potato Salad
Spinach (perfect with sliced hard boiled Easter eggs)
Home-Made Yeast Rolls
A Pitcher of "Arnold Palmers" (Others may call it "Half and Half"- Half Iced Tea, Half Lemonade)Wine ( Manischewich or Mogen David)
Strawberry Shortcakes made with slices of Lemon Pound Cake, Sugared Strawberries, and Rum Whipped Cream

Debra from Tennessee sent her favorite Easter Menu:
Baked Ham with Brown Sugar and Pineapples
Chicken and Dressing
Deviled Eggs
Macaroni and Cheese
Turnip and Mustard Greens
Southern Potato Salad
Oven Corn Bread
Iced Tea
Homemade Banana Pudding
Lemon Ice Box Pie

These special recipes were sent from different people who use these recipes most often during Easter.

HONEY BUN CAKE
Lora from Kentucky
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
8 ounces sour cream
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Topping:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Combine yellow cake mix, eggs, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Mix together and pour half in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over half of batter in pan. Pour rest of batter over brown sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Topping: combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. While cake is warm poke holes in cake with toothpick. Pour topping over cake.

CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD PUDDING
Raymond from Arkansas
6 slices of cinnamon raisin or white bread
7 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups of sugar
3 cups half and half
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon powder
1/2 cup packed raisins

In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, vanilla and 1 1/4 cup of sugar in a medium size mixing bowl until sugar is dissolved. DO NOT WHIP. Add half and half and heavy cream slowly to egg mixture until well blended. Mix sugar, cinnamon powder and raisins in a small bowl. Lay white bread in a 9x13 inch deep baking pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar/raisins mixture on top.

Pour liquid mixture on top, pushing bread down when it begins to float. Soak bread well. Cover pan with foil. Place on a sheet pan filled with water. Bake in a pre-heated 320 degree oven for 1 hour or until pudding is firm on top and no liquid is showing. Take out of oven, remove foil from pan. Let cool and serve.

POTATO CASSEROLE - Easter Recipe
Mary from Georgia
2 pounds frozen hash brown potatoes (defrosted)
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup (10 oz size)
1 pint sour cream
10 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a buttered casserole dish. Top with 2 cups of crushed corn flakes and 1/4 cup melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes (depending on your oven temperature). This may be made ahead and frozen. Defrost before baking.

STRAWBERRY WALNUT BREAD - Easter Recipe
Wanda from Tennessee
1- 1/4 cups chopped walnuts
1 (10 oz) package frozen sliced sweetened strawberries, thawed
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all- purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degree; flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon & salt and mix well set aside. In small bowl using a whisk eggs until mixed, then add eggs and oil to flour mixture and stir together until blended. Fold in strawberries and walnuts.

Pour equal amounts into each loaf pan. Bake for about 70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 or 15 min. Store in airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap.

CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE - Easter Menu
Angela from Missouri
3 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
6 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups sifted cake flour

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add salt and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Add flour, dividing into four additions. Pour into 10" round tube cake pan. Grease only the bottom of the pan for a smooth even cake. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 hours or until done.

EASTER CARROT CAKE - Easter Recipe
Helen from Ohio
2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 c. grated carrots
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped nuts
Cream Cheese Frosting

In mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Mix in carrots. Combine in bowl flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Sift. Add flour mixture to carrots mixture. Mix. Add nuts. Pour into greased and floured two round cake pans. Bake in 325 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cake test done.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. soft margarine
1 (1 lb.) box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Chopped nuts sprinkled on top of frosted cake (optional)

Combine cream cheese, margarine, powdered sugar and vanilla; mix well. Use to frost cooled cake. Sprinkle chopped nuts over top for garnish. Note: I make this cake the day before and place it in an airtight cake. Cover in the refrigerator.

EASTER PIE
Nancy from Kansas
CRUST
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
2 c. light sour cream
3 (8 oz.) light cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2-1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
Finely grated zest (peel) of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crust: Combine 1st 4 ingredients. Add butter and toss to combine. Reserve 3 tablespoons of graham mixture for top of cheesecake and press the remaining evenly into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of 9 inch springform pan.

Filling: Process the sour cream, cream cheese, eggs, sugar and salt in food processor until smooth. Add vanilla and orange zest and process just to blend. Bake 50 minutes. Sprinkle reserved topping over the cake and bake until filling is firm and top is lightly golden, about 10-15 minutes more. Cool completely. Remove side of pan, refrigerate. 10-12 portions.

EASTER FRUIT SALAD - Easter Recipe
Felice from Washington
1 can or 3-1/2 c. fried cocktail
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 sm. lemon Jello
8 lg. marshmallows
3/4 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped nuts
1/2 pt. whipping cream or 2 1/3 c. Cool Whip

Drain the fruit cocktail and heat the juice with the Jello and softened cream cheese and marshmallows. Cool mixture. When it starts to set, add to fruit, celery and chopped nuts. Refrigerate until thickened, about 1/2 hour. Beat whipping cream and fold in. It's now ready to be put into your favorite mold.

SWEET POTATOES WITH CRANBERRIES
Linda
3 lbs. sweet potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. fresh berries
1 1/2 lbs. granulated sugar
Butter as needed

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Place half of them in a buttered baking pan and cover with half of the cranberries. Sprinkle on half of the sugar. Repeat this process with remaining ingredients. Cover the pan. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes until cranberries pop open. Remove cover and bake another 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.

EASTER ANGEL FOOD CAKE
Betty Ann from Michigan
1 pkg. Betty Crocker confetti or white angel food cake mix
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped cream topping, thawed
1 c. flaked coconut
6 drops green food color
Jelly beans

Bake and cool cake as directed on package, remove from pan. Frost with whipped topping. In tightly covered container, combine coconut and food color and shake vigorously until evenly tinted. Sprinkle over top of cake. Arrange jelly beans on coconut. After serving, refrigerate any remaining cake. Serves 12 people.

EASTER SPONGE CAKE
Donna From Wisconsin
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
5 tsp. baking powder

Cream shortening, gradually adding sugar until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Blend in 2 cups of the flour and the baking powder. Beat, then add 2 more cups of flour, beating until mixture is stiff. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees 10 - 12 minutes. Ice cookies while warm and sprinkle with candy confetti. Makes 80 - 90.

ICING
2 egg whites
4 tbsp. butter, melted but not hot
1 (1 lb.) box confectioners' sugar

Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually add butter, then blend in sugar.

CHOCOLATE BIRDS NESTS
Nannie from Arizona
1 box shredded wheat (10 to 12 biscuits)
2 (8 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 jar chunky peanut butter

Crush biscuits fairly fine. Melt chocolate chips over hot water until JUST SOFT. Add peanut butter to melted chocolate, thoroughly mix, then add to shredded wheat. Put 1 tablespoon mixture on waxed paper - shape into nest and chill. Fill with jelly beans - makes approximately 18 nests.

Wilette from Tennessee sent her favorite Easter Menu:
Baked Ham
Chicken and Dressing Giblet Gravy
Turnip Greens
Macaroni and Cheese
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Fried Corn
5 Cup Salad Potato Salad
Deviled Eggs
Yeast Rolls
Buttermilk Cornbread
Cranberry Sauce
Lemon Ice Box Pie
Homemade Pound Cake
Sweet Tea
Lemonade

These Easter menus and mouth-watering recipes sound absolutely delicious. A special thanks to everyone who sent menus and recipes. Have a Happy Easter!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
EASTER HAM RECIPES
10 IDEAS FOR SERVING LEFTOVER EASTER HAM
GREAT RECIPE CENTER